Friedman advocates for bill to protect children from toxic chemicals

BOSTON
– On July 8, Senator Cindy F. Friedman, D-Arlington, testified before the Joint
Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure on a bill she filed
that would require the disclosure of toxic chemicals in children’s products. The
bill was first filed in a previous session and spearheaded by Senator Ken
Donnelly (D-Arlington) and former Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington), and
has since been championed by Friedman.

“This
is a commonsense proposal that simply asks that information be made publicly
available about what is in products that are intended to be used by and for
children,” said Friedman. “The
passage of this bill would be a step toward transitioning to safer alternatives
and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of our children and other
vulnerable populations in Massachusetts.”

Scientific
evidence increasingly indicates that a wide array of toxic chemicals we come
into contact with each day in our homes, in our schools, and in the workplace
are contributing to an epidemic of chronic diseases and disorders such as
asthma, birth defects, cancers, developmental disabilities, diabetes,
endometriosis, infertility, Parkinson’s disease, and others.

This
bill, S.149, calls for the creation of a list of toxic chemicals in consumer
products. Under the bill, manufacturers of certain products sold in
Massachusetts that contain chemicals on the list would be required to report
that information to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Products
subject to reporting would include children’s products and “formulated
products” – including cosmetics, cleaning products, certain products used
in industrial settings, and other liquid products.

Criteria
for disclosure would include chemicals recognized as carcinogens, mutagens and
reproductive toxins; chemicals recognized as persistent, bioaccumulative and
toxic chemicals; and chemicals recognized as endocrine disruptors. The DEP would
be responsible for using the Interstate Chemical Clearinghouse (IC2) database
to log all information about toxic chemicals in products sold in Massachusetts
that are intended for use by children. The disclosed information would be made
publicly available in a bi-annual report and on the DEP’s website.